Winifred J. Thorne

AMHERST, Winifred Eloise “Win” Thorne (nee Jones), 85, of Amherst, MA, died on October 30, 2012.  Win was born in Sutherland, Iowa on March 11, 1927, the third of four children of Lester Lambert Jones and Violet Mary (Stoaks) Jones.  She graduated from Sutherland High Schooland received a B.S. in Microbiology from Iowa State University in 1949. For 49 years she was the beloved wife of Curtis B. Thorne from Pine Grove, WV, who died in January, 2008.  Win and Curt met while they were both working at the U.S. Army Biological Laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland, and they were married on April 4, 1959. A resident of Amherst, MA for 45 years, Win was a woman of many talents; she was eager to help others and always willing to take on active roles in groups to which she belonged.  Win was a master gardener, and many benefited from her ability as a seamstress, but perhaps Win’s greatest pride and passion was researching her family ancestry.  Win traced her family tree back to the Mayflower, and she was proud to be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  Win was co-owner of Day and Night Delights dress shop in the 1980’s, and she was an active member of the Amherst Garden Club, the Amherst Women’s Club, and the University Women’s Chorus for many years.  She was the loving mother of Brad Thorne and his wife Lisa (Kelly) of Millstone Township, NJ, and loving aunt of nine nieces and nephews and their families.   Her generous spirit of service and selflessness lives on in her survivors’ memories and hearts forever.   There will be a Celebration of her life on Saturday, December 8, 2012, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Applewood, One Spencer Drive in Amherst.  Donations can be made to:  “Orchard Arboretum Fund in Memory of Win Thorne”, Town of Amherst Conservation Dept., Amherst Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA 01002. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.